Many users are going to extreme measures to ensure their online information is kept private…
For the past few years, social networking has dramatically risen in popularity among all age groups. There’s been a particular focus on enhancing online reputation for professional purposes, or signing in to multiple platforms to stay connected to different groups of friends.
For many this may mean just a Facebook account, or maybe a Twitter account and LinkedIn profile for keeping in touch with people at work. Or an old Myspace account, or maybe a Flickr account to store your photos or a blog to document your travels. For many the list really does seem endless if you start adding it all up, and all of these I've listed are things you have controlled at some point or other…
There are many other online places your name, your photo and personal information about you might be available that you have no control over, maybe a person database like pipl.com or details from an old company blog. If you haven’t already, Google your name and you’ll probably be surprised at where it pops up - particularly if you have a silly and rather distinctive surname, like me.
But, what’s the solution?
Well many people don’t seem to mind, if you’re trying to build a name for yourself in a particular profession, it’ll help to have your blog pop up straight away in a search of your name, or to see your LinkedIn profile sat there below it. However, others just don’t like their information to be so easily accessible to advertisers, enemies or even potential employers.
However, getting rid of old information is actually much harder than you’d think. You can set up groups, connect with old friends and build a farm on Facebook but it’s nearly impossible to COMPLETELY DELETE your account. It’s even harder to control your information on databases or other sites you have no access to.
Last week, Fast Company revealed a new service called DeleteMe which claims to be able to delete old social networking accounts, remove Google search results, take down photos, videos and blog posts and remove data from people databases. Although the services come at a cost, this is surely perfect for anyone desperate to erase parts of their online presence.
There’s also a new trend that gives Facebook users complete access over their accounts and it’s been dubbed ‘Facebook Whitewalling’. The increasingly popular phenomenon involves logging into Facebook but deactivating your account once you log out, then re-activating it when you log in, and so on. This may seem a little extreme – not to mention far too time consuming – but does put the power back into the hand’s of those who should have it. No one will be able to see your information, tag you, mention you or check you in unless you’re online to oversee it.
Unless you’re adamant that you want everything deleting RIGHT NOW, then the answer is to be sensible with what you do online.
1. Make sure you change your Facebook privacy settings every few months, as the Facebook team have a habit of tinkering with them every time a new feature is added.
2. If you have a blog that’s not in use then most platforms let you add a password to restrict access to it, or alternatively hide it from search engines.
3. Use your common sense when it comes to links / questionnaires / emails you don’t trust.
4. There have been lots of fake links on Twitter in the last few months that give nasty third parties access to your account. Go to Settings > Connections and restrict access to anything that doesn’t look familiar.
5. Be careful with location based platforms like FourSquare and follow our tips about being safe when using Facebook Places.
6. Don’t sign up to every new social network that you hear about, chances are you may not want to be a member in the next few months and it might be harder than you expect to delete your account.
Becca Caddy is a BitchBuzz Tech columnist and freelance writer for Reputation Online, New Media Age’s spin-off publication. You can follow her on Twitter @beccacaddy.
Image via TheTruthAbout's Flickr.